10 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



riched meanwhile, is a fact not only well known, 

 but it is easily accounted for. Take a large tree, 

 root, trunk, branches, leaves and all, and consume 

 it in a fire, and all that remains of it is a small 

 quantity of ashes. All the rest has been scattered 

 to the winds, and these elements that have been 

 dissipated in the air, all came from the atmosphere. 

 All that came from the earth is the small quantity 

 of ashes that remains. 



Now as a large crop of leaves are produced an- 

 nually, which fall to the ground and enrich it, this 

 constant addition of fertilizing matter renders the 

 land very productive, in the course of fifteen or 

 twenty years, while a good crop of wood is grow- 

 ing. Lands thus renovated, are better than old 

 lands for almost every crop, particularly for fruit. 



The subject of raising wood is one of great im- 

 portance in most parts of the country, and owing 

 to the value of land in regions where this would be 

 a profitable business, every one who goes into it 

 should examine the subject well, and determine on 

 the best kind of trees adapted to his soil, and the 

 best mode of propagation and management. 



In regard to cutting trees on woodlands there is 

 frequently a very injudicious course pursued. Many 

 years ago, it was a common practice both in Eu- 

 rope and in this country, to cut out the decaying, 

 and the largest trees, leaving the more vigorous 

 and younger trees to grow from the more room 

 that was allowed for their expansion. This plan 

 seemed ver}' plausible. But experience showed thai 

 the smaller trees grew but slowly, and that they 

 shaded too much for new trees to start from the 

 ground; so that after many years the old growth 

 was cut away, and there was no new growth to 

 take its place. 



For sometime past a new course has generally 

 obtained in Europe, and the same plan has been 

 pursued by the most judicious managers in this 

 country. This mode is to cut off all the trees, per- 

 fectly clean, as far as necessary for use, or for sale, 

 where there is a good crop, and a good market. 

 The consequence is that a new growth starts up 

 suddenly, and all the trees have an equal chance, 

 and a new and large growth, is produced in a short 

 l>eriod.. 



The growth of wood, under this plan, is four 

 times as great as it is under the old system. We 

 now have in our view, a fine wood lot, where the 

 large and decaying trees were cut away, and after 

 this course had been pursued for twenty or twenty- 

 five years, there was no growth left excepting a 

 few scattering trees; but near J)y, where the old 

 growth was all cut ofl^at once, in the course of the 

 time here named, a new, handsome, and heavy 

 growth was produced. 



The results of different modes of management 

 have a great effect, even where statements as to 

 the mode we have recommended, and reason there- 

 for, may fail to have an influence. Some practices 



that have been long pursued, and that appear very 

 reasonable, cannot be done away at once by state- 

 ments, and a new course of reasoning, or by facts. 

 Yet, examples would afford convincing proof. Ar- 

 boricultuie will become a great branch with the. 

 farming community. 



OBITUARY. 



Hon. Asa T. Newhall, of Lynnfield, has recent- 

 ly "gone the way of all the earth." As a farmer 

 he was distinguished for his intelligence and cor- 

 rect practice. He was equally well known for hi.s 

 zeal in promoting agricultural improvement, and 

 for many years was an active member, and fre- 

 quently anelTicientofficer, of the Essex agricultural 

 society. A few years since we had the pleasure 

 of listening to an excellent address by him before 

 that association. To a strong corps of such men, 

 that society owes its great success and its powerful 

 influence, not only in that county, but throughout 

 the country, by its Transactions. 



Agricultural Meetings. — Agreeable to ad- 

 journment, the first meeting at the State House will 

 l)e held on the second Tuesday after the meeting of 

 the Legislature, (Jan. 15th,) at seven o'clock in the 

 evening. It is desirable that all the friends of ag- 

 riculture, who can, should attend these meetings, 

 and aid in making them interesting and instructive. 



THAWING FROZEN VEGETABLES. 



Frozen vegetables, fruits, &c., may be thawed 

 in such a manner that they will receive but very lit- 

 tle injury from freezing and thawing. If the frozen 

 substance be immersed in cold water, whose tem- 

 perature is but little above that of freezing, the frost 

 will soon be extracted without injury. 



If frozen vegetables be covered up in the ground, 

 or closely covered with moss, clotlis, mats, &c., 

 and laid in a dark cellar, the frost will be gradually 

 extracted without material injury to the article. 



By these modes of thawing, the change is grad- 

 ual, hence it has but little eflect. But if a frozen 

 vegetable or fruit be put into warm or hot water, 

 or carried into a warm room, or placed by a fire, 

 the sudden change from a frozen to a thawed state, 

 will destroy it as completely a.s though it had been 

 baked or boiled. Thus it appears that the thaw- 

 ing, rather than the freezing, destroys the vegeta- 

 ble. 



5!^ It is said that Capt. Ericson is engaged in 

 producing a steam carriage for v 33 upon plank 

 roads, by which immense loads may be transported 

 at a good speed, with small cost. 



A farmer in Wilton, Me., has lately sent 40 

 barrels of Beachnuts to the Boston market. 



U^One of the sublimest things in the world is plain 

 truth. — Bulwer. 



